Influence of British and Chinese Culture on their Idioms and their Learning and Translation.doc

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1、Influence of British and Chinese Culture on their Idioms and their Learning and TranslationIntroductionA Chinese student promised her British teacher that she and her three classmates would win the 100-meter-relay-race. She said, I can run very fast. I will not pull my classmates leg. There is a bam

2、boo in my heart. A Pyrrhic victory is right there. She smiled joyfully, without noticing that her teacher was in a fog.Why could not the English teacher understand his student The reason was that the girl misused three idioms. First, she used pull ones leg to substitute the Chinese idiom 拖后腿. Howeve

3、r, the true meaning of this English idiom is to play a joke on somebody. Second, Chinese people may literally translate There is a bamboo in my heart into 胸有成竹 and know that it means to have a preconceived idea at heart. But this word-for-word translation is not right and it may puzzle our foreign g

4、uests. The girl should have explained to her teacher its original meaning to have a bamboo in an artists mind before drawing a picture of it. Third, a Pyrrhic victory originated from an ancient Greek myths .Its correct meaning is a victory gained at such cost that it is almost equivalent to a defeat

5、. She only saw the word victory while she did not pay attention to the allusion in this idiom.Many people want to create vividness by using idioms in their speeches and writings. However, many of them cannot make an appropriate use of them. An appropriate use of idioms in our writing, daily communic

6、ation and important situations, such as a press conference, will add to the strength and vividness of our language to be used. It also helps to narrow the cultural gap among different nations and facilitate cross-cultural communication as well.Providing suggestions about learning and translating idi

7、oms may contribute to the appropriate use of idioms. In this thesis, a number of examples are cited to illustrate the national characteristics of idioms and the translating skills, improve the sensibility of culture and the ability of cross-cultural communication, make ourselves understood. The sugg

8、estions are supposed to help cross-cultural communicators avoid the misunderstandings or offenses caused by misuse of idioms and serve as practical guideline for cross-cultural communication.How can we achieve the appropriateness in intercultural communication Above all, a thorough understanding of

9、English and Chinese idioms is the most important factor. Many examples of misuse of idioms show that some users often fail to comprehend the background knowledge concerning idioms, especially the cultural characteristics of them. Besides, the techniques used in the translation of English idioms into

10、 Chinese idioms or vice versa are also essential to the appropriate use of idioms. So this paper will focus on the discussion of cultural characteristics of idioms and some suggestions about how to learn and translate idioms.1 Culture and IdiomsIn order to analyze the cultural characteristics of idi

11、oms, we must first make clear what culture is, what an idiom is and how the two affect each other.1.1 Definition of culture Different people have different views on culture. Culture derives from the Latin word culture, which means cultivated materials and human cultivated nature. Among various defin

12、itions, the first generally accepted and comparatively complete definition is presented by an anthropologist - Sir Edward Tylor in Primitive cultures (1871). He defines culture as that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs, and any other capabilities and habits ac

13、quired by man as a member of a society. Some linguists consider culture as the deed and thought of a society. Some famous translation theorists define culture as the way of life of a peculiar community, which is expressed by a language. Afterwards, scholars enriched the concept of culture by adding

14、material to it and divided it into three parts in broad terms. (1) Material culture, which is manifested by various productions made by mankind. For instance, drinks, foods, buildings, dresses, tools, etc. (2) Spiritual culture, which is presented by the way and the result of mens thinking process,

15、including beliefs, ideas, views, values, outlook on life, etc. (3) Social systems and customs, which means peoples way of life and social regulations, involving laws, customs, education, history, etc. But this classification is not the terminal one. Other scholars, such as Eugene A. Nida, view ecolo

16、gy a part of culture. So generally speaking, culture is like an umbrella, covering every aspect of our life, from environment to cultivated nature, from social productions to spiritual works.1.2 Definition of idiom It is quite difficult to give a clear-out definition to the word idiom, for it posses

17、ses several meanings, which might cause us confusion. It may mean the language of a people or a country, or a dialect, or a linguistic usage that defies grammatical analysis. But the most suitable definition for this paper is as follows. Idiom is an expression established in the long usage of a lang

18、uage that is peculiar to itself either in grammatical construction or in having a meaning that cannot be derived as a whole from the conjoined meanings of its elements. English idioms, in a broad sense, include idiomatic phrase, proverbs, colloquialisms and slangs. In comparison, the Chinese equival

19、ent for idiom is 熟语. It means a kind of set phrase or sentence, which, like a stock expression, is often quoted by the common people. Chinese idioms can be roughly divided into 成语(set phrases),俗语(common sayings),谚语 (proverbs),歇后语(a two-part allegorical saying),and 粗俗语(vulgar expression). From the ab

20、ove definitions and classifications we can extract three basic characteristics of idioms. (1) An idiom is a special form of language. An idiom must be well established and accepted through common practice. It stands as a whole. So no element in an idiom can be changed. In many cases, idioms hold imp

21、lied meanings, and cannot be interpreted just according to their literal meanings. (2) An idiom is the crystallization of language. Language gives birth to idioms. It also polishes idioms. Refined by long usage idioms have been described as the core of language. (3) An idiom is the representative of

22、 a language. Though both British and Chinese people use idioms and give the almost same definition of idioms, we cannot equal the two idioms, for their ranges are different. 1.3 Relationship between idiom and culture As has been noted, an idiom is the essence of a language. Therefore, the relationsh

23、ip between idiom and culture is just like the relationship between language and culture. First of all, language is a part of culture, but not the full content of culture, since material culture is manifested by mans productions. Furthermore, language mirrors culture. The most important function of l

24、anguage is to reflect productions made by humankind, peoples outlook on life and the development of a community. Last but not least, language is influenced and shaped by culture. The development of culture promotes the creation of new words and expressions in a language. Besides, every aspect of cul

25、ture, either material or spiritual, influences language directly. Owing to this kind of close relationship, language is described as the carrier of culture and the mirror of cultural characteristics. Therefore, idioms -the refined part of language, are influenced deeply by culture. They are cultural

26、ly characterized. As is well known, different nations possess different cultures. As a result, idioms of different nations must be affected by their peculiar cultures.2 Influence of British and Chinese cultures on their idiomsThe idioms of a nation are closely associated with its culture. English an

27、d Chinese idioms are no exception to the rule. British and Chinese geographical conditions, life experiences, histories, religious beliefs and literatures are all stamped on their idioms.2.1 Influence of environment and weather upon English and Chinese idioms In a strict sense, environment and weath

28、er are not cultural. They are introduced here on the consideration that they interact with the ways of material production and consumption of a culture and sometimes seriously affect the existence of culture. The value of culture is to inspire people to adapt themselves to the environment. If one wa

29、nts to survive in the Arctic Pole, he should learn Eskimo culture, eat raw foods and live in igloo. This is a kind of cultural behavior, so environment and weather are more or less related to culture.2.1.1 Geographical conditions and features reflected in idioms Britain is an island country, with At

30、lantic Ocean to the west and north, the English Channel to the south and the North Sea to the east. So British culture can be regarded as sea culture. There are a lot of idioms about sea and ocean.e.g. (1) all at sea: confused, not known what to do不知所措(2)a drop in the ocean: a quantity too small to

31、make any improvement沧海一粟The long and bendy coastline promotes British sailing and fishing, so idioms of this kind are in large quantities.e.g. (1) plain sailing: a course of action that is free from difficulties一帆风顺 (2) when ones ship comes home/in: when one has become successful功成名就 (3) a big fish:

32、 an important and influential person大亨 (4) a fresh fish: a new prisoner新囚犯 (5) a poor fish: a foolish person愚蠢易欺的人 On the other hand, China, since time immemorial, has been a large continental country, only with seas to its east, and is chiefly based on agriculture. So a great number of Chinese idio

33、ms are derived from agricultural production.(1) 种瓜得瓜,种豆得豆: As you sow, so will you reap. (2) 瑞雪兆丰年: A snow year, a rich year.Besides, some particular geographical features in each country also play an important role in idioms. e.g.(1) to set the Thames on fire: to do something remarkable; to make a

34、brilliant reputation做惊人之举 (2) 不到长城非好汉: He who does not reach the Great Wall is not a true hero. (3) 上有天堂,下有苏杭: There is a paradise above and Suzhou and Hangzhou below.2.1.2 Influence caused by weather The climate of Britain is the typical temperate oceanic climate, rainy and foggy. The annual rainfa

35、ll of the whole Britain is about 1016mm. Moreover, it is foggy on the island, especially in winter. China is a country with a vast territory and various climates and has the temperate climate in the north whereas subtropical climate in the south. It is rainy in the east whereas arid in the west. So

36、the weather is diverse. The traditional Chinese invented the lunar calendar, in which a year is divided into twenty-four solar terms. These solar terms are often used in proverbs to illustrate principles concerning weather and climate. The following are some examples: e.g. (1) rain cats and dogs: ra

37、in very heavily.倾盆大雨 (2) fog-bound: trapped by fog.因雾受阻 (3) It never rains it pours: misfortunes usually cone in large numbers.不下则已,一下倾盆(4) 清明时节雨纷纷: Unbroken spell of wet weather around the QingMing Festival 2.1.3 National characteristics of English and Chinese idioms Summing up from above mentioned

38、 examples, we can see that both English and Chinese idioms are reflecting their national geographical conditions and climates. On the one hand, there are some similar idioms. For instance, A snow year, a rich year equals 瑞雪兆丰年, Cast not a clout till May be out equals 吃了端午粽,棉衣远远送, and When round the

39、moon there is a halo, the weather will be cold and rough equals 月晕而风,础润而雨 . However, more idioms are different. Chinese people have created a quantity of idioms on the basis of agriculture whereas British people have employed sea and fish into their idioms. Chinese people appreciate east wind wherea

40、s English people enjoy warm west wind. In a word, different environments give birth to diverse national characteristics of idioms.2.2 Influence of history upon English and Chinese idioms History, as part of social culture, is an influential factor not only for a nation but also for a language. It pl

41、ays an indispensable role in the development of a country. It also promotes the evolution of a language and affects its idioms.2.2.1 Influence caused by history Sometimes an idiom may summarize a historical event both in Chinese and English.e.g. (1) to cross the Rubicon: to take a decisive and irrev

42、ocable step. The allusion is to Julius Caesars act when with his army in 49B.C. he unconstitutionally crossed the River Rubicon, which separated his province from Italy, and so brought on the Civil War. 渡过鲁比肯河,断然采取有进无退的重大活动 (2) Do in Rome as the Romans do: One should change ones habits to suit the c

43、ustoms of the place one is living. The allusion is to the Roman Conquest of England.入乡随俗 (3) 卧薪尝胆: to sleep on brushwood and taste gall, to undergo self-imposed hardships so as to strengthen ones resolution to wipe out a national humiliation. The allusion is to the act of Yueh Emperor GouJian in the

44、 Warring Period, when his country was conquered; however, he did not lose heart but wanted to rebuild his empire.In the following idioms, it is evident that historical figures contribute much to their distinctive national features.e.g. (1) Every Caesar has his Brutus: One should be aware of ones fal

45、se friend for his friend Brutus finally betrayed Caesar.防人之心不可无 (2) Lynch law: The practice of killing (an accused person) by mob action and without lawful trial, usually in defiance of local authority.私刑(3) 项庄舞剑,意在沛公: XiangZhuang performed the sword dance as a cover for his attempt on LiuBangs life

46、-to act with a hidden motive.(4) 三个臭皮匠,顶个诸葛亮: Three cobblers with their wit combined equal ZhugeLiang the mastermind-the wisdom of masses exceeds that of the wisest individual. Two heads are better than one.2.2.2 Comparison of English and Chinese idioms of this kind As both people have taken many id

47、ioms from history, some idioms may, by chance, coincide with each other. There was no Caesar in Chinese history, whereas there was no ZhuGeLiang in British history. For instance, the English idiom the apple of discord, meaning cause of contention strikes the same note as the Chinese idiom 二桃杀三士, mea

48、ning Three generals were killed because of two peaches. However, more English idioms are different from Chinese idioms. Every country has its own history. As a result, the different historical backgrounds of the English and Chinese people have given their national colors to their own idioms in the t

49、wo languages.2.3 Influence of life experiences upon English and Chinese idiomsLife experiences of people belong to the social system. The fact that the British people and Chinese people share both similarities and differences in life experiences is also reflected in their idioms.2.3.1 Idioms about similar life experiences The best example to illustrate their similar life